The proposed research project seeks to develop a model of the relationship between economic change and utilization of mental health services in an economically depressed region. The model should be of sufficient specificity to be used to forecast utilization rates in response to anticipated future changes in employment rates in that region. The research will be built around a 25 year data set of episodes of mental illness in one depressed region. The site of the study will be the Fitchburg, Mass. area. This area has been chosen because we have available a 25 year data set on virtually all episodes of mental illness in the region. The set breaks down all episodes by month, by age, by sex, by diagnosis, by place of treatment, by length of treatment and by occupation and/or educational levels. The data were gathered from state mental hospital records, outpatient clinic records, community records from psychiatric units of general hospitals and surveys of private practitioners in the area. These data were gathered as part of an evaluation of mental health services in the region. The data will be modeled using two types of statistical models: time series and cross-sectional ones. In addition, a history of the regional economy and mental health programs will also be developed to provide a context against which to evaluate the statistical findings. Once completed, the model will serve as a tool for policy and planning. Furthermore, the development of such a model will lead us to a better understanding of the relationship and the dynamics involved in the processes of economic change and its impact on the mental well-being of individuals and families.